Wind is a well known destructive force in Oklahoma. But how exactly does strong wind damage your home’s roof? And what does it look like?

Severe weather can cause damage to a roof in two ways. One is by way of throwing debris up against the roof itself. Anything moving fast enough can remove shingles, cut into the roof, tear or puncture shingles, damage flashing, roofing cement, and so on. Heavy limbs and trees are notorious for inflicting damage during high winds. The other way wind causes damage is simply by lifting the roofing material up off of the home. This exposes the whole roof to moisture, rot, mold, and any other form of decay. 

How to spot wind damage

Some roofing materials have very high wind ratings. Regardless, you should check the status of your roof after the wind has risen over 50 mph. To inspect your roof, go outside and look for any missing shingles or torn, cracked, curled materials and obvious patches on all sections of your roof. You may even want to use binoculars to get a closer look, but be careful where you look on sunny days. 

Remember, your roof isn’t just the shingles or metal. It is made up of other things like the flashing that covers joints and sharp angles, gutters, chimneys, vents. Take a look at the entire roof.

Here’s what the damage can look like for the different components of your roof:

• Shingles: curling or raised edges, rips and tears, missing chunks of asphalt on individual shingles, missing whole shingles
• Metal: dents, obvious holes or gaps, rust, lifting
• Wood: mold, moss, splitting, missing shingles
• Flashing: tears, buckling around other damaged areas
• Gutters: bending, sagging, leaking, missing sections, rust
• Chimneys: leaning, flashing damage, cracks, missing bricks

Be sure to keep an eye out for water damage and stains outside or inside the home and attic as well. This could be a sign of leaks caused by damage you can’t otherwise see.

Of course, if you are suspicious of any damage, you should contact an expert as soon as possible. Please feel free to give Land Roofing a call at 405-359-3951 or send an email to info@landroofingokc.com.